Paragonimiasis in the endemic areas can be diagnosed clinically by a persistent cough
and the character of the sputum, although it may be differentiated from tuberculosis and
other pulmonary conditions.
The Commonst method of making a posit~ive diagnosis in case of pulmonary
paragonomiasis has been by finding the eggs in the sputum, stool or in the gastric juce.
As the accesory methods of paragonimiasis in laboratory medicine, otherwise, there
have been immunological or serological diagnostic procedures such as intradermal test,
complement fixation test, agglutination test and fluorescent antibody test et cetra.
In spite of the presence of the toxic side effect and/or the evidence of the failure to
kill the worms emetine hydrochloride, antimon preparations, gentian violet, chloroquine
phosphate and quinacrine (Atabrine) have been widely used in treating paragonimiasis
untill the year of 1960.
In 1961 a new chemotherapeutics Bithionol, 2,2'-thiobis(4,6-dichlorophenol) as a drug
of choice for paragonimiasis appeared finally and has been used most widely untill
present day. The side effect of the drug could be divided into two main groups:
gasrointestinal and skin lesions, however, almost all of them are transient and did not
necessiate any symptomatic treatment or discontinuance of the application of the drug.
At the third international congress of parasitology at Munchen in August 1974 and at
the 16th annual meeting of the Korean Society for Parasitology at Seoul in November
1974 was reported the result of a clinical trial of the treatment in 15 cases of pulmonary
paragonimiasis with a newest chemotherapeutics Niclofolan, 5,5′-dichloro-2,2
-dihydroxy-3,3r_dinitro-biphenyl (Bayer 9015, Bilevon) by Dr. H.1. Rim, Korea. In this
investigation the author prosed that Niclofolan was highly effective for Paragonimiasis at
a single dose of 2.0㎎/㎏ body weight.
|